The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is going after Missouri Republican Senate candidate Sarah Steelman in a new commercial that compares her to Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill.

"Claire McCaskill and Sarah Steelman, two peas in a pod," the commercial said. "Both cast votes against Missouri businesses."

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The group, which has endorsed Steelman's Republican rival John Brunner, said the ad refers to two Steelman votes in the Missouri Senate in 2003 and 2004. Both votes were against bills that dealt with lawsuit reforms, but Steelman said they had elements she didn't like. By the time Missouri reformed its tort system, Steelman was no longer in the Missouri Senate.

"Steelman, standing with trial lawyers and union bosses against the business community," the ad said.

KMBC 9 political reporter Micheal Mahoney said Republicans often rail against trial attorneys, but few political campaigns don't have attorneys making contributions.

In the past, Steelman has been endorsed for office by the Service Employee International Union, the United Auto Workers and the Teamsters. In 2000, she shared a Springfield stage with Teamsters President James P. Hoffa, as a local Teamster she knew was being honored.

During Steelman's time in the Missouri Senate, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce gave her an average rating of 68, a relatively low score for a Republican. The Missouri Federation of Independent Business rating over that period was higher, but low for a Republican, Mahoney said.

In the Senate, Steelman did vote for tax and fee increases. She said critics are nitpicking.

"I am a fiscal conservative. Everybody knows that," she said. "Everybody can come in and look at my record and how I voted on things."

Mahoney said that the ad's claims that McCaskill, a lifelong Democrat, and Steelman, backed by a big tea party political action committee, are birds of a feather is probably news to both women.